EQ:What are the characteristics of the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and the Mississippian

Indian Cultures?

EQ:What are the characteristics of the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and the Mississippian

Indian Cultures?

Brainstorming

With your partner, quietly discuss the stereotypes of Native Americans and how they been portrayed in American History. Write down your groups ideas in your composition notebook.

Think of movies, cartoons, commercials, books, stories, etc.

Stereotypes of Native Americans

Have we been lied to our entire lives about who they

really are?

Stereotypes of Native Americans• Someone wearing feathers • Someone living in a tipi • Someone who makes a "whooping" sound • Someone to associate with Thanksgiving and the

pilgrims • People who never waste anything• People who respect the land and never harm anything• People who are often seen in the wild or portrayed as

animals or part of the land• Fought like the “brave”

Stereotypes continued

• Smoked the “peace” pipe – say there was never peace and that narcotics were never in the peace pipe.

• People who worship nature• That every one chose an animal name or had a animal

spirit as protector• Native are lazy and not motivated• Always associated with handcrafts – dream , jewelry, Stereotype that all Indians were the same• A lot of the ideas mentioned above are all ideas that

are found in Mainstream America.

Things we have heard

• "Sit like Indians" • "You act like a bunch of wild Indians" • "I'm dressing like an Indian for Halloween" • "You're an Indian giver" • "Too many chiefs, not enough Indians“

• Have we (American history/society) turned Native groups into simply movie roles and costume ideas?

Earliest Native Americans

• Where did they come from? • How did they get here? • When did they get here?

BERINGIA!

• At least 10,000-15,000 years ago

• Land bridge was formed Coined “Beringia”

• Came from Asia

Before “Contact” Native Americans

• Paleo• Archaic• Woodland• Mississippian

• What was the cultural evolution of these Americans?

• Complete Chart

Paleo Indians

• Migratory Patterns:– Roaming

hunters• Housing:

– Temporary housing

Paleo Indians• Tools & Weapons:

– Atlatl: 2 ft. long wood shaft with a spear on the end/Simple tools

• Food:– Mammoth– Bison– Nuts and wild berries– Over hunted large animals causing

extinction

Paleo Indians

• Culture:– 1st Indians in

North America

– Beringia:• A narrow

strip of land that use to connect Alaska & Russia

Archaic Indians

• Migratory Patterns:– Settle in one place

• Housing:– More permanent – Small camps

• Social Structure:– Larger groups/

communities

Archaic Indians

• Tools and Weapons:– Grooved Axe

• Food:– Berries, nuts, and

fruit &…

Whitetail Deer

Opossum

Turkey

Rabbit

Bear

Fox

Shellfish

Archaic Indians

• Cultural Aspects:– 1st signs of clay

pottery– Decorative

stone and bone pieces

Woodland Indians

• Migratory Patterns:– Settled in villages

• Housing:– More sturdy

structures• Social Structure:

– Tribes are formed

Woodland Indians

• Tools and Weapons:– Bow and Arrow is

invented• Food:

– Small game:• Small animals

such as rabbit & squirrel

– Nuts– Fish

Woodland Indians

• Cultural Aspects:– Burial

mounds in the shape of animals

– Markings on pottery

Mississippian Indians

• Migratory Patterns:– Large tribes near rivers

• Housing:– Groups of houses of

wood and clay surrounded by Palisade (tall wooden wall) & moat (wide ditch w/ water)

• Social Structure:– Chiefdom: villages ruled

by a priest-chief

Mississippian Indians

• Tools and Weapons:– Stone weapons &

farming tools

Maize (corn)

Tobacco

Squash

Food:Agriculturally advanced

Mississippian Indians

• Cultural Aspects:– Flat-topped burial

mounds– Ear ornaments– Tattoos– Feather and

copper headdresses

Mississippian Indians